


The Time Prompto Accidentally Saved Regis' Life and Everyone Really Enjoyed Making a Huge Fucking Deal out of It

by littlemiss_m



Series: people talk about things in this (but not prompto because he's a dumbass) [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety, Assassination Attempt(s), BAMF!Prompto, Competent Prompto Argentum, Crying, Gen, Medals and awards, Prompto Saves the Day, and gets really anxious over it, who needs therapy when you have ignis scientia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-17 08:26:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14828825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemiss_m/pseuds/littlemiss_m
Summary: Prompto did not mean to save Regis' life but it's what he did anyways, and now he has to suffer the consequences.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This expands on chapter 5 of "Four Times Regis and Ignis Talked about Prompto, and the Time Regis Finally Got to Meet Prompto" where poor Prompto saves Regis from an assassination attempt.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Prompto has his biggest freak-out of all time and Noctis tries to be a good friend.

Stumbling into his father's personal rooms some three hours after the initial alert went blaring across the Citadel, Noctis could truly say he didn't know what to expect. He'd only been explained the barest bones of the failed assassination attempt, but years of watching his father pretend to ignore a seemingly endless list of pains and injuries had left Noctis unwilling to accept Regis' own word on the matter. On top of everything else, Prompto had somehow ended up holing up in the royal chambers with with his dad, and Noctis – who did, in fact, understand his friend's anxious tendencies – knew he had to be freaking out by now.

Still, finding his father, Prompto, and Clarus all daintily drinking tea did very little to calm his own fraying nerves. Noctis cast a glance at Regis, who flapped his fingers in a dismissive motion and turned back to Clarus. On the other couch, Prompto sat alone with his shoulders hunched up to this ears; his hands shook so badly the tea cup on his knees rattled against the saucer, a continous clacking sound everyone was ignoring. Prompto wasn't even trying to drink his tea.

At Noctis' entrance, Prompto looked up from his lap and very obviously fought to put a smile on his face. It was the kind of an expression Noctis had only ever seen on TV screens, on badly beaten kidnapping victims trying to desperately placate their usually more-than-a-little insane assailants; it was also the kind of an expession he did not want to see on Prompto's face.

”Prompto,” Noctis gasped, quickly skipping around the sofa table to sit down next to his friend. ”What happened?”

His father was the one who replied. ”Ah, young Prompto saved my life earlier today,” he said, beaming over the rim of his tea cup. ”And before you ask, no; no-one was hurt.”

Ignis and Gladio had both sat down nearby as well, but Noctis had little attention to pay to them. ”What?” he forced out, looking between his father and a white-faced Prompto. ”Prom?”

”Accidentally,” Prompto said, almost wheezing the word. His entire body jerked and Noctis decided it was time to take the tea cup from him, before he could pour it all over himself.

”What? What happened?” Noctis repeated himself, looking at his father for answers he doubted he'd get out of Prompto. ”Dad?”

Regis set his tea on the table and straightened up. ”Just as I say: your friend noticed a sharpshooter and managed to push me out of the way just in time,” he explained, once again trying to smile at Prompto. ”Short form for a short incident. Well, Clarus and I will be retreating to my study for now. Please help yourselves to the tea – it might be a while before we get any food in here.”

Noctis nodded but didn't move from his position on the couch. While Regis and Clarus stood to leave – the latter pulling Gladio away for a short discussion – Prompto turned to burrow into Noctis' hold. His breaths were short and ragged, coming at irregular intervals, and it didn't take long before Noctis felt the first splash of hot tears on his neck. Feeling worried and more than a little helpless, he glanced at Ignis, who offered him a tiny smile.

”Um, it's okay,” Noctis tried awkwardly. Prompto snorted between his sniffles and shook his head. ”Prom, you just saved my _dad_. Like I don't know what exactly it is you're freaking out over, but dude, I promise you everything's okay. You just literally saved my dad's life!”

Prompto gasped wetly. ” _Accidentally_ ,” he repeated.

Nearby, Gladio guffawed. ”Keep on insisting that and people will start to think you're regretting it,” he said. Usually, these kinds of jokes were just the right thing to help Prompto break away from his overwhelming thoughts, which was the only reason Noctis didn't glare at Gladio when Prompto's trembling worsened.

”Alright,” Ignis cut in, scooting closer to rest a hand on Prompto's lower back. ”I do think now would be a good time for that breathing excercise, hmm? What do you think, Prompto?”

Prompto nodded and tried to sit up better. While Ignis led him through the excercice – in for four, hold for seven, out for eight, repeat and repeat and repeat – Noctis tried to squash his own worry. He hadn't seen Prompto get this bad since he started therapy some two years earlier, and though he _definitely_ understood how harrowing an incident Prompto had just been through, it was still difficult to watch him struggle.

Slowly, the tension began to seep out of Prompto's body. Noctis kept one hand clutched into his shirt and when the tremors finally eased, he sighed in relief and gave his friend a small smile. ”Hey,” he said. ”Feeling better now?”

Prompto nodded, laughing nervously, self-deprecatingly. ”Yeah,” he sniffled. He paused to wipe the last tears from his eyes before continuing. ”Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that.”

”It's alright,” Ignis smiled. ”Gladio, could you fetch some fresh water, please?”

Gladio got up without a word. Noctis followed him to the mini-fridge before turning his attention back to Prompto, who squirmed out of his embrace with a wobbly smile. ”Sorry, sorry,” he murmured again, ”look at me being a little crybaby, heh!”

Unlike Ignis, who could smile through the world's ending if he so saw fit, Noctis felt his lips turn down into a small frown. He knew – _of course_ he knew – that for Prompto, anxiety and insecurity and self-loathing all went hand-in-hand, but it still felt bad to hear him talk like that.

”Nonsense,” Ignis said firmly. Gladio returned with the bottled water, then, and handed it over to Prompto after twisting the cap loose. ”Anyone would be shaken after witnessing an assassination attempt on a person, never mind being actually involved in one.”

Noctis felt his stomach lurch over the reminder but Prompto just huffed around the bottle mouth, swallowing before speaking up. ”Yeah, believe me when I say I did not see that coming,” he remarked dryly, sounding a lot more like himself than before. ”On one hand, I'm thinking I actually managed to leave a pretty stellar first impression, but on the other, I _literally_ pushed him down on the floor so...”

Ah. Noctis didn't even bother trying to hide the expression that crossed his face. He shared a look with Ignis and Gladio, the former raising an eyebrow and the other chortling a short laugh. ”Yeah, kid, that's how that shit goes,” Gladio replied. ”You wouldn't believe me if I told you just how much of Crownsguard training is spent just learning how to tackle and how to _be_ tackled.”

Gladio wasn't lying; ducking was a pretty crucial part of Crownsguard training. It was probably the first thing Noctis had ever been taught, long before he even started basic self-defense lessons. Running, hiding, standing still, and throwing his body down on the floor – those had all been things taught to him in the guise of playing, back when he was too young to understand what kind of a danger he was always in.

Though Prompto still looked far from A-okay, his breathing was now steady and controlled. Noctis watched him sip at his water before making his decision and speaking up: ”So, what happened, exactly? 'Cause all I was told was that there'd been an assassination attempt on dad but that no-one got hurt.”

Noctis liked to think he was used to these kinds of things – security alarms, both false and real – but every time something happened, he still ended up worried and frustrated while he waited for the lockdown to be over. It didn't help that he wasn't allowed to hide in the same area as his father, or properly communicate with him until the situation was fully over.

”Ugh, yeah,” Prompto groaned, flopping down to lie on his back with his feet still thrown over Noctis' lap. ”I dunno, it took like five seconds and I'm still not 100% convinced I didn't just imagine the whole thing.”

Noctis saw Gladio rolling his eyes. ”Sorry to say this, Sunshine, but that was all real.”

”Unfortunately,” Ignis added. ”Prompto, would you mind telling us what happened? You don't have to, of course, but as Noctis said, we have yet to be briefed on the full story.”

Prompto groaned, again. ”Yeah, I don't mind talking about it. It's just, it was just – such a fucking mess, you know? Like I was just sitting there trying to take pictures of the birds and then the King showed up and said hi to me, so I had to talk to him too, and all of sudden I see this glare and my mind goes 'wow a gun, watch out' and the next thing I know, I've pushed the King down on the floor and there are like bullets everywhere. So yeah, that's pretty much it.”

It took Noctis a moment to catch up with what he'd just been told, and based on Ignis and Gladio's expressions, they were having similar problems. ”Right, so, uh,” he stumbled, trying to find at least something to latch onto; ”you were taking pictures? Of the bir– oh, yeah, the _birds_ , the ones leaving the nest, right?”

All of sudden, Noctis remembered Prompto gushing about the little bird nests everywhere, and how the first chicks should be ready to leave their nests any time now. ”Yeah, I was at one of the colonnades,” Prompto nodded, smiling a bit bashfully. ”And then the King showed up and stopped to talk to me.”

”And then dad showed up to talk to you,” Noctis repeated, deadpan. ”Where were you? I think we were told something about the gardens, but not really the exact location.”

He glanced at Ignis and Gladio, who nodded their agreement.

”Uh, somewhere on the west side?” Prompto said, clearly not sure; he'd only been given his updated security clearance a little while ago, and though Noctis knew he liked to spend his time wandering the gardens, he still wasn't too familiar with the maze-like paths. ”Near the clock tower with the broken minute hand. That's where one of the shooters was, and the second one down the wall.”

He shrugged like he was talking about dropping a fork or something other minor, not about ending up in the middle of an assassination plot, and once again Noctis needed a moment to keep up with all the information being unloaded on him. This time, Gladio was faster, already nodding while Noctis was still stuck on trying to figure out which clock tower they were talking about.

”You said you saw the glare?” Gladio asked, sounding impressed. ”Nice one, kid.”

Prompto flushed bright red and covered his face with his hands. ”That was so dumb,” he grumbled. ”Like I didn't even think! I just – shoved the King down on the ground like he wasn't, y'know, the flipping King.”

The small, dim light bulb at the back of Noctis' head had been in the process of lighting up ever since Prompto first began his story, but it wasn't until now that he caught onto the nagging feeling bothering him. Noctis tried to count the instances of Prompto mentioning how he'd pushed down the King – three, if he remembered correctly – but even so, he was fairly sure he'd figured out what Prompto was really stressing about.

”Dude, you saved dad's life,” he said. ”So he's got a new bruise on his ass, but who cares? 'Cause he won't, I can tell you that much.”

Prompto exhaled fast and loud. ”His limp was worse,” he murmured, words muddled by his palms. ”And, like, that stone floor really wasn't the softed place to be crawling on.”

Noctis thought back to his father leaving the room and shrugged. ”Didn't seem any worse to me,” he said. ”Like – you know moving around isn't always easy for him, so it was probably just that. Also, dude, I'm pretty sure he'd still choose a busted hip over being dead, so I _really_ don't think you've got anything to be worrying for.”

That, at least, earned him a small laugh. ”Yeah, but, like – I really meant it when I said I didn't even think. Like – what if I'd seen wrong? What if there hadn't been a shooter out there, and I'd just have knocked him over for no season?”

Prompto's voice began to rise in pitch towards the end and okay, Noctis could get behind what he was saying, because if he _had_ pushed down the King of Lucis for no reason at all, then things _may_ have gotten more than a little bad.

”No point in dwelling in what-ifs,” Ignis commented. He pulled out a notepad and a pen and handed them over to Prompto, who looked at them in confusion. ”If you would please note down a list of items you require from your apartment.”

”Um.” Noctis saw Prompto looking at him so he shrugged. ”Um?”

Ignis fixed them both a hard stare. ”Since you obviously will be staying here for the night.”

Noctis and Prompto shared another look. ”I was supposed to go home, though–”

”Key word being supposed,” Ignis cut in. ”The list, please.”

There really was no arguing with Ignis in his mother hen mode, so all Prompto could do was to follow the orders. Noctis sniggered, then yelped when a bony knee bumped into his belly in retaliation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Prompto has another freak-out and Ignis steps in to help him.

It took Ignis a while too long to figure out what woke up him. Groggy with sleep, he lay in bed only vaguely aware of having woken up in the first place, but then the sound of wet sniffles reached his ears and he was up in a flash. He took his glasses and put them on, stuck his bare feet into a pair of soft slippers, and carefully tiptoed to his door.

Though the military intelligence agreed that the assassination attempt was not likely to repeat, they were all staying at the Citadel and in the royal chambers. A few hours earlier, Ignis had quite literally tucked Noctis and Prompto into the same bed before bidding goodnight to them and Gladio, who would be sleeping in his own rooms. Ignis hadn't had any troubles falling asleep – the event of the today too common to shake his bones – but it was starting to look like the same couldn't be said about Prompto.

With a soft sigh, Ignis pushed the heavy door open and stepped a foot into the hallway. Like he'd assumed, he found Prompto sitting on the floor by the door, crying into his knees; when he looked up at the sound of Ignis' approach, his eyes were wide in surprise and rimmed with red.

”Ignis!” he gasped, then grimaced. ”I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't realize–”

”That's alright,” Ignis tried to placate, opening the door all the way. ”Is Noctis still asleep, then?”

Prompto nodded, making futile attempts at drying his face. ”Yeah, I didn't wanna wake him up,” he murmured. ”I'm sorry, I didn't know there was anyone sleeping here.”

”As I said, that's alright,” Ignis said, repeating his earlier words. He held the door open and motioned at Prompto to stand up. ”Come on then, I'm sure I can find a fix for whatever it is that ails you.”

While he still look embarrassed, Prompto did as told and followed Ignis into the rooms. Leading him through the bedroom and the lounge, Ignis didn't stop until his private kitchen, where he immediately began scouring through his tea cabinet. ”Some chamomile might be best, I believe...” he murmured while searching for the correct package. ”A-ha! Do sit down, Prompto, I'll be right back with you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ignis saw Prompto sit down on one of the bar stools. He was still sniffling occasionally, though not enough to require immediate attention, so Ignis focused on preparing two cups of his favorite blend of chamomile. When he was done pouring the water, he set the cups on the counter and sat down opposite of Prompto, whose attempt at a smile was feeble at best.

”I really didn't mean to wake you up,” he murmured, reaching for the steaming cup of tea.

”I'm quite used to being woken at all sorts of hours,” Ignis commented, dismissing the apology. ”Would I be correct in assuming that you're still bothered by the assassination attempt?”

Prompto confirmed his hypothesis with a shy nod and Ignis returned the gesture with one of his own. He waited for a moment to see if Prompto would talk unprompted, but when the blond seemed more interested in staring at his cup, Ignis decided it was likely better for him to steer the conversation.

”Would you like to talk about it?” he asked softly, offering a listening ear and a chance for Prompto to begin as he himself best saw fit. ”I'm guessing the reality of what happened is only just beginning to sink in, yes?”

Prompto nodded and shrugged at once, almost spilling his tea. ”I guess,” he agreed, not looking at Ignis. ”I just – someone tried to kill the King, you know? Like actually _kill_ him. Seriously, honestly, legit, kill him.”

Ignis hummed and tried to sip at his tea, but it was still too unbearably hot to drink. He mulled Prompto's words over in his head, already fairly sure he knew what he bottommost issue was. ”So you've realized that the same could happen to Noctis, then.”

Prompto flinched. ”Yeah,” he whispered after a beat. ”Yeah. I guess I always thought of threats like... angry people throwing shoes because they felt they'd been wronged, you know? Not actual honest-to-gods assassinations.”

”Indeed...” Ignis sighed. ”To be honest, real assassination attempts such as this _have_ gone down in number since His Majesty took the throne and ended the war with Nifflheim. Back then, I've understood, it was much more likely for someone to try to kill him, and, well – I suppose the tradition of requiring a human Shield must have come from _somewhere_.”

Prompto huffed a humorless laugh. ”But Noct could still be in danger,” he murmured, eyes flicking up to meet Ignis' inquisitive gaze.

There was nothing Ignis could do to deny the words so he didn't. ”The intelligence service is of the opinion that His Majesty and Noctis are safer than any of their forefathers have ever been,” he spoke instead. ”Though they will never not be in danger of death, I personally would not consider the situation dire enough to lose any sleep over.”

A heavy silence fell over them, during which they merely sipped at their teas, Prompto staring at the table and Ignis watching Prompto. Eventually, Prompto began to twitch, clearly wanting to speak but too embarrassed to say what was on his mind. Two, three years earlier, it would have taken an hour of prompting to get something out of the boy, and even then it likely would have been a lie; now, at the sight of Ignis' raised eyebrow, Prompto blushed but began to speak all the same.

”I, um, this is gonna sound really stupid,” he said, glancing up at Ignis through lashes that were still damp with his tears. ”But, um, I used to think – not seriously, just sometimes – about, um, about – maybe joining the Crownsguard.”

It was not a confession Ignis had been expecting, not when he'd already been explained how Prompto intended to go into engineering or research after university. Ignis set his cup down on the table and exhaled slowly, trying to gather his thoughts, but the moment he took was too long and Prompto began babbling before he came up with anything to say.

”I know it's dumb and they wouldn't take me with my anxiety anyways, but I just thought, like–”

”Prompto,” Ignis sighed, raising a hand to silence the other. ”Please; it is not in any way a dumb idea.”

Prompto huffed. ”They still wouldn't take me.”

Ignis sucked in his lips. ”Anxiety alone is not reason for immediate disqualification,” he said. ”Such cases are handled on individual basis. But, Prompto... I don't know if Crownsguard would be the best choice for you. Not because I doubt your skills or your devotion, but because I know you have so much more to give. And... if you were to join out of your loyalty to Noctis, then I fear he might not take it so well – not when he, too, knows there are other things you desire from your life.”

Prompto looked away throughout Ignis' speech, silent and thin-lipped. Ignis thought he could see fresh tears welling in his eyes. ”I'd still like to sit through some training,” he said meekly, after a while. ”If that's okay.”

Smiling, Ignis reached over the table to hold Prompto's hand. ” _Of course_ that's okay,” he said. ”In fact, I do believe it would be quite good for you to undergo at least certain parts of Crownsguard training, on top of the lessons Gladio and I have been teaching you. Because of how close you and Noctis are, this could be arranged without you enlisting for service.”

A shy smile spread on Prompto's face, his insecurity seeping out so visibly that Ignis felt his heart ache. ”Okay,” he murmured. ”Okay. Um, do you think – because I'd still like to help Noct out somehow, you know? Do you think–”

Ignis chuckled over Prompto stumbling for words, already guessing what he was trying to say. ”I'm sure you'll be able to find a job that allows you to do exactly what you with to,” he said. ”There's always the Crownsguard armory, of course, but I am sure you're aware that the Crown is both funding and initiating several lines of research on all fields known to mankind. Whatever it is you end up specializing in, there will be work for you do.”

A grin bloomed on Prompto's face – finally, Ignis thought – and he swallowed the remnants of his tea. ”Thanks, Igs,” he said. ”You really know how you cheer up a guy.”

Ignis smiled. ”Thank me in the morning, after you've slept some,” he said. ”Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?”

Still grinning, Prompto shook his head. ”Nah, I'm fine – really, this time,” he laughed. ”Thanks for the tea, Igs, and the talk. I mean it, you're awesome at this talking stuff.”

Delighted laughter bubbled up Ignis' throat and he stood, taking the tea cups and setting them in the sink for the morning. ”Unlike some of us, I have years of experience at talking out my feelings,” he quipped, enjoying the sounds of Prompto choking on absolutely nothing. ”Do you think you can fall asleep?”

”Yeah, I think I'm good,” Prompto answered, slightly more serious. Ignis led him back out of his rooms, to the dimly lit hallway cutting through Noctis' side of the royal chambers. ”Thanks, Iggy. Night.”

”Sleep well.” Leaning against the open door, Ignis watched Prompto tiptoe towards Noctis' bed room. There was no point to it – they both knew Noctis could sleep through a train crash without noticing anything wrong – but the sight of him so obviously caring for Noctis brought yet another smile to Ignis' lips. Prompto was truly a good friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time... when I first found this fandom, Ignis was my least favorite chocoboro (not disliked or anything, just least favorite). Then I started writing him and realized I love him almost as much as I love Prompto, and yeah, that's why these kinds of chapters keep on happening. Because I love Prompto and I also love writing Ignis.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Prompto starts out okay but then freaks out when he realizes how big a deal saving the King's life actually is.

Prompto woke up before sunrise as usual and knew it impossible for him to fall asleep once more, so he untangled himself from Noctis' arms and rolled out of bed. Though the talk with Ignis had helped him come to terms with everything that happened the previous day, he was still feeling a bit too anxious and keyed-up. There was nothing more he wanted than a good, long run to help him calm down, but he wasn't sure if he'd be allowed one; when he glanced at the gardens through the thick windows of Noctis' room, he saw more than twice the usual amount of guards standing still in the yard.

Sighing, Prompto grabbed his bag and tumbled into the ensuite. After washing his hands and taking his pills, he walked back out and into the lounge, where he was at first surprised but then excited to find Gladio wearing very obvious sports wear. Feeling like a fool, he remembered the numerous training halls within the Citadel and groaned.

”Morning, Sunshine,” Gladio greeted him, grinning easily. ”Up early, huh?”

”Always am,” Prompto answered. ”Hey, uh, I usually go running at this time and I'm feeling kind of nervous still, so do you think...”

He trailed off but was glad to see Gladio nodding. ”Yeah, so the gardens are shut off for time being, but if you don't mind running on a treadmill, then you could come to the gym with me. Or Iggy's doing joga in his living room, if you wanna join him.”

Prompto bit his lip. He did like yoga but it also tended to worsen his anxiety, not help with it like running did. ”I've never used a treadmill before,” he admitted shyly. ”But honestly, anything's better than sitting still, so...”

Gladio laughed and clapped his shoulder. ”I'll help you get started,” he said. ”Did Iggy pack you any extra clothes? No? That's fine, we can get you some legit Crownsguard gear to borrow.”

Prompto's nerved surged at the mention of the Crownsguard but he followed Gladio out of the chambers anyway, ducking his head when they passed the first pair of guards. ”Um, um,” he tried once out of their hearing range, ”um.”

”Spit it out, kid,” Gladio said, glancing down at him with a kind if humored expression. ”Not all of us can read minds.”

Prompto laughed nervously. ”So last night,” he began, continuing when Gladio nodded in acknowledgement. ”I couldn't sleep and Iggy found me freaking out, and then we had this talk, yeah? Anyways, um, he said – that it might be good if I did some Crownsguard training? Like I asked him if I could get some lessons and then he said–”

Gladio silenced him a small shove still strong enough to make him miss a step. ”Do you wanna enlist? Or just learn some shit?”

Prompto wrung his hands. Gladio wasn't anywhere near as mean as he looked but he also wasn't Ignis, which left Prompto unsure of how much of the talk he should repeat. ”I mean, I've kind of thought about enlisting, just a little, but Iggy says–”

”No offense, but I don't really care what Iggy's got to say about the matter,” Gladio cut in. ”It's your opinion or none, Sunshine.”

Prompto puffed his cheeks. ”I'm not thinking about joining the Crownsguard,” he said, rolling his eyes. ”And for the record, Ignis just helped me figure some things out.”

Gladio nodded, smiling down at him. ”Yeah, that's what I thought,” he said. ”Anyways, it really wouldn't be a bad idea to take some classes. Do you wanna start now, or...?”

Prompto shook his head. ”No, I really wasn't kidding when I said that I need to run,” he said.

And run he did. After warming up together, Gladio taught him how the treadmill worked, which buttons to press for what effect. Getting used to the machine wasn't anywhere near as difficult as Prompto had thought, and the sound of Gladio working on a set of weights filled the room with repetitive groans and metallic clangs. At the same time, Prompto found himself hating how little control he had over his speed, how he couldn't just speed up as his heart best saw fit; though he could change the settings, it still lacked the sense of freedom Prompto usually found in running.

Still, when the hour came to a close and Prompto stepped off the treadmill for some final stretches, he felt the blood pound in his ears and the sweat sliding down his skin, and felt okay. He was calm and collected, for once, his anxiety left behind in the proverbial dust. Sighing, Prompto sat down on a bench to wait for Gladio to finish; somehow, he just knew today wouldn't be any less quiet than the previous day had been.

* * *

After quick showers, it was time to wake up Noctis and get ready for breakfast. Prompto's stomach lurched when he realized they'd all be eating together, King Regis and Gladio's dad included. ”It's just a casual breakfast,” Noctis murmured sleepily against his shoulder. ”No protocol. You just eat what you wanna eat and drink when you wanna drink. No-one's gonna care at all.”

His words did very little to fan down Prompto's increasing anxiety, but the sight of the King, Clarus, and Iris all sitting at the table in very casual clothes and looking relaxed helped him calm down a fraction. They weren't angry at him, instead greeting him specifically and welcoming him to take a seat. The food was brought out a moment later and Prompto stared at his lap awkwardly while two servants piled all kinds of breakfast items on the table, from sugar-frosted cereal (Noctis) to bowls of porridge (Clarus and Gladio) to steaming-hot omelettes (Ignis and Iris). Despite Noctis' earlier words, Prompto waited until everyone else was already reaching for their choice of food before sliding a fluffy spinach omelette onto his plate.

”So, Prompto,” Regis spoke after a while, clearing his throat. ”If you don't mind, there are a few issues we didn't have time to discuss yesterday.”

Feeling little else but dread, Prompto nodded.

”Wonderful. So, first of all, you will be asked to give your statement about yesterday's events – this will take fifteen minutes at most and is entirely for paperwork purposes, so you have nothing to worry about, son.”

The King paused and Prompto nodded. ”Okay,” he said, then added: ”Sir.”

”Yes, of course.” Regis paused to clear his throat a second time and Prompto wished for a black hole to swallow him up. ”Next would be the matter of the medals to be awarded to you.”

In hindsight? He should've seen this coming, especially seeing as he already had one medal safely tucked into the corner of his treasure box. Prompto had saved the King's life so of course he would awarned a new medal, as much was natural; he just had managed to not realize it.

”But I already have a medal,” Prompto said in a voice that did not sound like it was coming from his mouth. He stared dumbly at Gladio, who sat across him, and very pointedly did not turn to face the King.

”So you're gonna have more, big deal” Gladio said, rolling his eyes. He pointed a thumb at Regis and nodded. ”So, he's gonna give you one as a thanks for saving his life, and then my dad's gonna give you a second one for doing his job for him.”

Startled, Prompto glanced at Clarus, who smiled at him. It was Regis who spoke up, however: ”It has been quite a while since a King's Shield last shamed him so,” he said, and it took Prompto far too long to realize he was joking. ”Where _were_ you, Clarus, when I was almost killed?”

”Trying to talk a certain Marshal out of something very stupid and quite possibly illegal,” Clarus replied with a roll of his eyes. He swallowed a mouthful of porridge and pointed his spoon at Prompto. ”The medal you'll get from me is called the Shield of Honor – yours, not mine – and with it, you'll be a member of the Order of the Gilded Eagle, which currently has three members all found seated around this table.”

Gladio made an impatient sound. ”That means that you can challenge dad to a death match over the honor of being Reggie's Shield.”

Prompto felt like he should have been having a panic attack. He looked at Gladio, then once again turned to eye Clarus, who, like his son, was a hulking wall of pure muscle. ”Thanks, but I'm actually not interested in dying,” Prompto said.

Iris cooed, clearly disappointed. Prompto decided to ignore her.

”You'll be a member of three different orders, then,” Ignis mused, fixing his glasses. ”Quite a feat for someone your age.”

”It's not like I'm actively _trying_ ,” Prompto insisted. ”If people could stop getting in trouble when I'm around, that'd be pretty great. Uh, no offense meant, Your Majesty. Sir.”

Everyone around the table laughed. ”None taken,” Regis said, smiling widely. ”Either way, both medals will be awarded during a very formal ceremony; I'm terribly sorry to say this, but this is not an event that can be skipped.”

He _did_ sound sorry, Prompto thought, staring down at his breakfast. The omelet had already grown cold and he'd barely had two bites of it. He was starting to feel a bit dizzy.

”Dad's also gonna knight you then,” Noctis pointed out, seemingly out of nowhere. When Prompto turned to look at him, he'd already stuffed his mouth full of cereal, so Prompto looked at the King, who nodded.

”Of course, then there is still the matter of your reward left,” Regis said. ”According to the old laws of the Founder King, you are allowed to ask for anything.”

”Literally anything,” Noctis echoed, nodding. ”Choose wisely, dude.”

Prompto nodded slowly. He had this one. ”If I could get a new camera to replace the one that got broken, that'd be really cool,” he said. He'd already spent the previous night mentally calculating the time it would take him to save enough gil for a new one.

Too busy staring down at his plate, Prompto didn't see the others share a look. ”Prompto,” Clarus said very slowly. ”If you broke your camera while saving Reggie's life, then the Crown will _naturally_ have it reimbursed without you needing to ask.”

”Oh,” Prompto said, glancing around to see everyone – even Iris – nodding at him. He tried to think of something else he wanted but couldn't really come up with anything. ”But there's nothing I want that I wouldn't already have.”

Ignis looked truly, utterly pained. ”To give you an idea of the situation you are currently in,” he said, also very slowly; ”the previous civilian to save a King's life was given the same offer, and he asked for the Crown Princess' hand. Though she could not stand the man, the King was legally obliged to agree.”

”That's–” Prompto began, cutting himself off to glance at the King. ”Uh. Is it treason to call a law stupid?”

”No,” more than one voice told him, so he nodded, satisfied.

”Okay, so that's a really stupid law,” Prompto said, nodding. ”I mean, the part where the princess had to get married even though she didn't want to.”

”What, are you saying you _don't_ wanna marry our little princess here?” Gladio teased. ”'Cause if you do, here's your chance, Sunshine.”

Prompto spluttered and glanced at Noctis, who was still busy shoveling cereal into his mouth. His face was just as red as Prompto's probably was. ”No!” he cried out. ”No, I wouldn't – that wouldn't be fair, if he'd not allowed to say no! I mean–”

Noctis made a sound. ”That's the Rogue Queen we're talking about,” he said, still not looking up from his bowl of sugary milk. ”Since it looks like you didn't realize.”

Understanding dawned on Prompto and he gasped, smacking his hands together. ”Ooh,” he said. The Rogue Queen had killed her first two suitors and ended up marrying a woman despite her Council trying to have her thrown off the throne for her actions. ”I see.”

”Indeed,” Ignis commented dryly. ”Prompto, the matter of your reward...?”

Prompto tried to think of something he might want. He knew he'd never ask for Noctis' hand or anything of the equivalence, and he wasn't interested in just being handed some money or fame. In the end, he only had one request left: ”Maybe... a nicer camera?” he asked hopefully, wringing his hands while looking at Regis, who remained silent. ”Or – or – we could go see chocobos.”

The last words were so close to a whisper Prompto thought no-one had heard him speak until Ignis sighed. ”We were already planning on doing so after school ended,” he said. ”Ask for something else, please.”

”But there's nothing else I'd want,” Prompto said, almost petulant. ”I mean, I just – I just wanna be friends with Noct, and I already got that, so.”

The silence that ensued was the longest one so far. ”I see,” the King said eventually, sounding very old and weak. ”Perhaps we should settle this matter at a later date. Prompto, I am in your debt; Clarus, please do follow me.”

That said, he stood up and left the room, Clarus trailing after him. Prompto watched them go and tried to convince his traitorous brain that there really was no point in freaking out. His brain, of course, did not listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a million thanks to everyone who kudoed or left a comment, your support means so much to me <3 When I first started posting this series, I didn't think it would end up my most popular one so I'm constantly blown away by the amount of traffic it gets! Y'all make me soooo happy <3
> 
> On a slightly less happy note, I have no finished fics left to post at this point so I have no choice but take a short break :( I have a couple longer series in the making (a slowburn promptis and a canon fix-it feat. Ravus, Loqi, and Aranea) as well as some shorter one-shots, but trying to juggle a gazillion different things has had the unfortunate side-effect of me not being able to focus on any of them! :D Anyways you can still find me on tumblr @missymoth if you're interested in listening to me complain about writing :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'm @missymoth at tumblr :)


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